Iceland covers an area of roughly 100.000 km2 and since the population has always remained small the vast part of the island is uninhabited. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by wasteland, mountains and glaciers, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. In modern times the use of geothermal energy keeps pollution at very low levels and the abundance of pure drinking water is of enormous importance for both people and livestock.